Thrust Force Calculations for
Pressure Safety Valves
Robert D’Alessandro, P.E.
Degussa Corporation, Mobile, AL 36602; robert.dalessandro@dugussa.com (for correspondence)
Published online 12 May 2006 in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/prs.10138
When a pressure safety valve actuates, thrust forces
are developed. These thrust forces must be considered
for the proper installation of the relieving device. For
gas or vapor compressible flow, Simpson developed
thrust force plots that can be used to calculate the
magnitude of the thrust force. Although these charts are
available in the open literature, the assumptions be-
hind the charts and the underlying equations are not.
This article addresses these issues. All equations and
fundamental assumptions are stated and all flow mod-
els are explained. Numerical examples are given to
illustrate the use of the equations and the correspond-
ing Simpson Charts. In addition, several important
modifications to the original charts are noted. The
thrust force equations for a relief valve operating with
a subcritical nozzle and a subcritical outlet, which are
absent from the original Simpson Charts, are included
here. The extent of the region where the relief valve
operates with a critical flow nozzle and a subcritical
flow outlet is modified to account for backpressure
effects. Finally, the concept of a minimum relief valve
outlet to nozzle area ratio is introduced. © 2006 Amer-
ican Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog
25: 203–213, 2006
INTRODUCTION
Thrust forces are developed when a pressure safety
valve actuates. If the relief valve is mounted directly to
the vessel, there is no net force at the relief valve nozzle
because the relief valve disk acts as a thrust plate that
balances the momentum of the flowing fluid. In other
words, the vessel restraints and weight are normally
sufficient to balance the forces that are developed at
the relief valve nozzle. However, the balance of forces
at the relief valve exit may not be zero. The thrust force
at the relief valve exit acts in a direction opposite to the
direction of the mass flow discharging from the relief
valve. To properly secure relief valves and prevent
damage to connected components such as pipes and
equipment nozzles, it is necessary to estimate the mag-
© 2006 American Institute of Chemical Engineers
Process Safety Progress (Vol.25, No.3)
nitude of the thrust forces that are developed. Once
known, these reaction forces can be balanced by the
installation of appropriate restraints at key locations.
For the typical emergency relief system, the restraints
necessary to balance the relief valve thrust forces are
usually moderate and the costs associated with these
restraints are typically low. However, large pressure
safety valves operating at high pressure can produce
substantial thrust forces.
One method for calculating the thrust forces gener-
ated when a pressure safety valve actuates was de-
scribed by Simpson [1]. The Simpson method is typi-
cally presented in the form of charts where the thrust
force parameter is plotted against the backpressure
ratio. The ratio of outlet area to relief valve nozzle area
is used as a parameter. The charts can be used only for
compressible gas flow in relief valves. The effect of the
fluid properties is incorporated via the heat capacity
ratio of the gas under consideration. Each value of the
heat capacity ratio yields a new Simpson Chart. The
Simpson Chart for a gas with a heat capacity ratio of
1.40 is shown in Figure 1.
For this diagram, the stagnation pressure is the ves-
sel static relieving pressure in absolute pressure units,
whereas the backpressure is the static pressure imme-
diately downstream of the relief valve exit plane in
absolute pressure units as well. The backpressure ratio
is the backpressure divided by the stagnation pressure.
The parameter k is the heat capacity ratio for the gas
under consideration and is evaluated at the vessel stag-
nation conditions; An is the cross-sectional area of the
relief valve nozzle; and Ae is the cross-sectional area of
the relief valve outlet. The thrust force parameter is a
dimensionless ratio defined by the following equation,
where TR is the thrust force and P0 is the vessel stag-
nation pressure:
TR
Thrust Force Parameter ⫽ (1)
P0An
Each Simpson Chart can be divided into three re-
gions as shown in Figure 1. Each region represents a
September 2006 203
Figure 1. Simpson Chart: Thrust force for a compressible gas or vapor with a heat capacity ratio of 1.40.
different flow regime within the relief valve geometry.
For Region A, the flow is choked at the relief valve
nozzle and at the relief valve exit plane. For Region B,
the flow is choked at the relief valve nozzle, but is
unchoked at the relief valve exit plane. In Region C, the
flow is unchoked throughout the relief valve geometry.
Region A is a very important flow regime. In this
region, the flow is choked at the relief valve exit plane.
This type of relief valve flow pattern is often referred to
as “body-bowl” choking. It must be considered care-
fully when evaluating the effect of backpressure on the
performance of a relief valve.
BASIC FORCE BALANCE FOR A PRESSURE SAFETY VALVE
The basic steady-state force balance for a venting
relief valve is given by the following equation:
T R ⫽ Wu e ⫹ A e 共P e ⫺ P b 兲 (2)
The following nomenclature and units are used:
204 September 2006 Published on behalf of the AIChE
TR ⫽ thrust force, N
W ⫽ fluid mass flow, kg/s
ue ⫽ fluid velocity at the relief valve outlet, m/s
Ae ⫽ cross-sectional area of the relief valve outlet, m2
Pe ⫽ pressure at the relief valve outlet, Pa
Pb ⫽ backpressure at the relief valve outlet, Pa
The first term on the right side of this equation
represents the thrust force arising from fluid momen-
tum. The second term represents the thrust force re-
sulting from the potential pressure discontinuity at the
relief valve outlet.
Dividing Eq. 2 by the stagnation pressure (P0) and
relief valve nozzle cross-sectional area (An) yields the
dimensionless steady-state thrust force equation:
TR
⫽ ⫹
P 0A n P 0A n A n 再
Wu e A e P e ⫺ P b
P0 冎 (3)
Simpson was able to evaluate the above expression
for a compressible perfect gas. The results of this eval-
DOI 10.1002/prs Process Safety Progress (Vol.25, No.3)
Figure 2. System sketch and model sketch.

uation are the Simpson Charts. In each chart, the thrust Subscripts e, n, *, and b denote, respectively, the
force parameter is plotted against the backpressure relief valve exit plane, the relief valve nozzle, the relief
ratio (Pb /P0). The ratio of the relief valve outlet area to valve body, and the conditions immediately down-
relief valve nozzle area (Ae /An) is used as a parameter. stream of the relief valve exit plane.
The mass flow and exit velocity can be eliminated
from Eq. 3 by using the mass flux at the relief valve THRUST FORCE EQUATIONS
outlet: Three cases must be considered.
• Case 1: presumes the flow through the relief valve
W ⫽ G eA e (4) is choked at the relief valve nozzle and at the
relief valve exit plane.
Ge • Case 2: the flow through the relief valve nozzle is
ue ⫽ (5)
␳e still choked, but the flow at the relief valve exit
plane remains unchoked.
Substitution of Eqs. 4 and 5 into Eq. 3 yields the • Case 3: considers unchoked flow throughout the
following working dimensionless thrust force equation: relief valve geometry.
The flow process to bring the fluid from the stagna-
TR
⫽
A e G e2
⫹
P 0A n A n P 0␳ e A n 再
Ae Pe ⫺ Pb
P0 冎 (6)
tion condition to the nozzle throat is assumed to be
isentropic, that is, adiabatic and reversible. The flow
from the nozzle throat to the relief valve body is as-
MODEL sumed to be adiabatic, but irreversible. Finally, the flow
To evaluate the thrust force equation, it is necessary through the outlet nozzle is also assumed to be isen-
to solve the flow and pressure balances from the stag- tropic. All flow patterns are assumed to be frictionless
nation condition through the relief valve nozzle into and at steady state. In essence, the relief valve is mod-
the relief valve body and finally through the relief valve eled as two ideal frictionless nozzles that are fed from
exit plane. The important variables and parameters an infinite reservoir and separated by a plenum.
necessary to solve these balances are shown in Fig- The body of a relief valve has a very complicated
ure 2. geometry. In addition, there are few, if any, geometric
The following nomenclature for the variables and similarities between the bodies of various relief valve
parameters shown in Figure 2 is used: sizes and relief valve manufacturers. As a result of this
TR ⫽ thrust force, N complex geometry, the flow pattern of the relieving
A ⫽ cross-sectional area, m2 fluid in the relief valve body is also very complicated.
W ⫽ mass flow, kg/s To assume that the body and outlet act as a frictionless
u ⫽ velocity, m/s ideal nozzle is, in many respects, a drastic simplifica-
P ⫽ pressure, Pa tion. However, in making this assumption the mathe-
T ⫽ temperature, K matics becomes tractable and, as is shown herein, the
␳ ⫽ density of the gas, kg/m3 answers obtained are reasonable.
G ⫽ mass flux, kg m⫺2 s⫺1 For each of the three cases mentioned above, eight
M ⫽ molecular weight of the gas, kg/kmol independent nonlinear algebraic equations in eight un-
k ⫽ specific heat ratio of the gas, unitless knowns (Pn, P*, Pe, ␳n, ␳*, ␳e, Gn, and Ge) can be

Process Safety Progress (Vol.25, No.3) Published on behalf of the AIChE DOI 10.1002/prs September 2006 205
 再冎 再 冎
共k⫺1兲/k 共k⫹1兲/共k⫺1兲
developed and solved simultaneously in terms of the G e2 A n2 P 0 P e 2
known parameters (P0, Pb, An, Ae, and k). The results of ⫽k 2 (11)
P 0␳ e A e Pe P* k⫹1
this flow analysis are then used in Eq. 6 to calculate the
thrust force parameter from the known parameters in-

再冎 冋 再
dicated. Details of the derivations are not included 共k⫺1兲/k
here. However, the results for each of the three cases Pe 1 1 P 0 P e2
⫽ ⫹ ⫹ 2共k ⫺ 1兲
are shown below. Interested readers can consult P* 2 2 P e P 02
D’Alessandro [2], where a considerable amount of ad-

冉 冊 冎册
共k⫹1兲/共k⫺1兲 1/ 2 ⫺1
ditional detail is given on the derivations and other A n2 2
aspects of this subject including comparisons of the ⫻ (12)
A e2 k ⫹ 1
methods given here to other methods in the open
literature.

Case 1—Region A: Choking at Relief Valve
Nozzle and Exit Plane
For Region A, solving the flow and pressure bal-
ances through the relief valve yields the two following
expressions:
When Eqs. 11 and 12 are combined and substituted
into the thrust force expression (Eq. 13) for the thrust
force on a relief valve when the flow is choked at the
relief valve nozzle and unchoked at the relief valve exit
is obtained. This equation yields the curves shown in
Region B of Figure 1:

再 冎
k/共k⫺1兲
Pe An 2

再 冎
⫽ (7) 共k⫹1兲/共k⫺1兲
P0 Ae k ⫹ 1 An 2
2k
TR Ae k ⫹ 1

冋 再 冎 册
G 2
Pe ⫽ 2 共k⫹1兲/共k⫺1兲 1/ 2
e P 0A n P b Pb A n2 2
⫽k (8) ⫹ ⫹ 2共k ⫺ 1兲
P 0␳ e P0 P0 P 02 A e2 k ⫹ 1
(13)
Substitution of Eqs. 7 and 8 into Eq. 6 leads to the
desired expression for the thrust force parameter:
Case 3—Region C: Subcritical Flow through the

再 冎
k/共k⫺1兲
TR 2 Ae Pb Entire Relief Valve
⫽ 共k ⫹ 1兲 ⫺ Generally speaking, thrust forces are small in Region
P 0A n k⫹1 An P0
C. The pressure discontinuity term in the thrust force
再 冎
1/共k⫺1兲
2 Ae Pb expression (Eq. 6) is again zero because the flow is
⫽2 ⫺ (9)
k⫹1 An P0 unchoked at the relief valve exit plane.
When the equations describing the flow and pres-
Equation 9 is the Simpson equation for the thrust sure balances for the pressure relief valve are solved
force on a relief valve when the flow through the relief simultaneously, the following equations are obtained:
valve is choked at both the relief valve nozzle and the

再 冎 再 冎 再 冎再 冎 再 冎
relief valve exit. This equation yields the lines shown in 共3⫺k兲/k 2/k 2 2/k 共k⫺1兲/k
P* P* Ae Pb P*
Region A of Figure 1.
From this equation one easily determines that the ⫺ ⫺
P0 P0 An P0 P0

再 冎再 冎
maximum thrust occurs when the backpressure is zero. 2 共k⫹1兲/k
Under these circumstances, the thrust force parameter Ae Pb
is given by ⫹ ⫽0 (14)
An P0

再 冎 再 冎
1/共k⫺1兲
TR 2

再 冎冋再 冎 再 冎 再 冎册
⫽2 when Pb ⫽ 0 (10) 共k⫺1兲/k 1/k
P 0A n max
k⫹1 G e2 2k P* Pb Pb
⫽ ⫺ (15)
P 0␳ e k⫺1 P0 P0 P0
The maximum thrust force parameters for k values
of 1.01, 1.40, and 1.80 are 1.215, 1.268, and 1.313,
respectively. Generally speaking, larger heat capacity For a given heat capacity ratio, outlet to nozzle area
ratios result in larger relief valve thrust forces. ratio, and backpressure ratio, Eq. 14 yields a specific
body pressure ratio. Trial and error calculations are
Case 2—Region B: Choking at the Relief Valve necessary. Because this equation has multiple roots,
Nozzle Only care is required to obtain the physically real solution for
For Region B, the outlet nozzle is unchoked. This the body pressure ratio. Starting the trial and error
implies that the exit pressure (Pe) is equal to the back- calculation with a body pressure ratio of 0.999 ensures
pressure (Pb). Therefore, the second term on the right that the correct solution is obtained.
side of Eq. 6 becomes zero. When the working equation for the thrust force (Eq.
When the flow and pressure balances are solved for 6) is combined with Eq. 15, the following expression is
this case, the following two expressions are obtained. obtained:

206 September 2006 Published on behalf of the AIChE DOI 10.1002/prs Process Safety Progress (Vol.25, No.3)
 再 冎再 冎冋再 冎 再 冎 再 冎册
共k⫺1兲/k 1/k
TR Ae 2k P* Pb
⫽ ⫺
P 0A n An k⫺1 P0 P0
Once a body pressure ratio is calculated by Eq. 14,
the corresponding thrust force parameter is calculated
using Eq. 16. The expressions shown above, Eqs. 14
and 16, represent Region C on the Thrust Force Chart.
The graphical representation and underlying equations
for Region C were not included in the original Simpson
work. As should be expected, Eqs. 14 and 16 yield the
correct limit when the backpressure equals the stagna-
tion pressure. That is, at this limit, the body pressure
equals the stagnation pressure and the thrust force
parameter equals zero.
BOUNDARY CONDITIONS
As mentioned previously and illustrated in Figure 1,
the Simpson Charts are segregated into several distinct
regions. In Region A, the flow through the relief valve
is choked at both the relief valve nozzle and the relief
valve exit. For Region B, the flow is choked only at the
relief valve nozzle, but not at the relief valve exit where
the flow is subcritical. In Region C, the flow is not
choked either at the relief valve nozzle or the relief
valve exit. The equations derived thus far can now be
used to develop expressions for the boundaries be-
Boundary between Region B and Region C
Pb
For the boundary between Region B and Region C,
P0 the Simpson Chart compares the nozzle choking pres-
(16) sure directly to the backpressure. The result is the
vertical line between Region B and Region C shown in
Figure 1. This assumes that there is no pressure drop
between the relief valve body and the relief valve exit
plane when the relief valve outlet is unchoked. A dif-
ferent approach is used here. The body pressure is
compared against the nozzle choking pressure instead:
P*
Pn
If ⬍ then the flow is choked (20)
P0 P0
P* Pn
If ⱖ then the flow is unchoked and Pn ⫽ P*
P0 P0
(21)
The nozzle choking pressure is calculated using the
classical expression for the isentropic flow of an ideal
gas given by Eq. 22. The body pressure is calculated by
using Eq. 23, which is an alternate form of Eq. 12 with
the exit pressure set equal to the backpressure:

再 冎
tween these regions. Pn 2 k/共k⫺1兲
⫽ (22)
Boundary between Region A and Region B P0 k⫹1
For the boundary between Region A and Region B,

再 冎再 冋
the relief valve exit pressure is compared to the back- P*
pressure to determine whether the flow is choked or Pb 1 1
⫽ ⫹ 1 ⫹ 2共k ⫺ 1兲
unchoked. First, Eq. 7 is used to calculate the relief P0 P0 2 2

再 冎再 冎 册 冎
valve exit pressure. Then the following two criteria are ⫺2 共k⫹1兲/共k⫺1兲 1/ 2 k/共k⫺1兲
used to determine the flow condition at the relief valve A eP b 2
⫻ (23)
exit plane: A nP 0 k⫹1

Pb Pe
If ⬍ then the flow is choked (17) An expression for the boundary between Region B
P0 P0 and Region C is obtained by setting Eq. 22 equal to Eq.
23. Algebraic manipulation yields the desired result,
Pb Pe expressed as
If ⱖ then the flow is unchoked and Pe ⫽ Pb
P0 P0

再 冎 再 冎再 冎 再 冎
共k⫹1兲/k
(18) Pb 2 Pb 2/k
k⫺1
⫺ ⫹
P0 BC
k⫹1 P0 BC
2
To determine the thrust force parameter at the
再 冎再 冎
2 2/共k⫺1兲
boundary between Region A and Region B, Pe is set An 2
⫻ ⫽0 (24)
equal to Pb in Eq. 7. The resulting expression is com- Ae k⫹1
bined with Eq. 9 to yield the following desired expres-
sion:
For a given heat capacity ratio and nozzle to outlet

再 冎 再 冎 area ratio, Eq. 24 yields the backpressure coordinate of

k/共k⫺1兲
TR 2
⫽k when Pe ⫽ Pb (19) the boundary between Region B and Region C. Back-
P 0A n AB
k⫹1 pressure ratios equal to or greater than the value ob-
tained by this equation will result in an unchoked relief
This equation describes the horizontal line between valve nozzle. For the relief valve nozzle to remain
Region A and Region B on the Simpson Charts shown choked, the actual backpressure must be less than the
in Figure 1. This boundary is independent of the back- backpressure calculated by Eq. 24.
pressure until the backpressure becomes high enough To determine the thrust force parameter at the
to unchoke the relief valve exit. boundary between Region B and Region C, Eq. 16 is

Process Safety Progress (Vol.25, No.3) Published on behalf of the AIChE DOI 10.1002/prs September 2006 207
combined with Eq. 23, yielding the following expres-
sion:
再 冎 再 冎再冋再 冎 再 冎
2 2
TR k Ae Pb
⫽ ⫹ 2共k ⫺ 1兲
P 0A n k⫺1 An P0
BC BC
再 冎 册 再 冎再 冎 冎
共k⫹1兲/共k⫺1兲 1/ 2
2 Ae Pb
⫻ ⫺
k⫹1 An P0
BC
This equation along with Eq. 24 is used to map the new
boundary between Region B and Region C.
It is interesting to note what happens to Eq. 24 as the
ratio of the outlet area to the nozzle area becomes very
large. Under these circumstances, the third term in Eq.
24 approaches zero and the expression simplifies to the
following equation:
再冎 再 冎
k/共k⫺1兲
Pb 2 Figures 3 and 4 can easily be compared with the
⫽ (26)
P0 BC 共 A e /A n 3⬁兲
k⫹1
This is the equation that yields the vertical boundary
line between Region B and Region C in the original
Simpson Charts. In this article, however, it represents
only the boundary point for very large outlet to nozzle
area ratios.
Minimum Outlet to Nozzle Area Ratio
Before showing the expressions for the minimum
area ratio, a simple “thought” experiment is helpful. Let
us assume there are two equal-diameter ideal friction-
less nozzles in series, separated by a plenum and op-
erating under steady-state conditions. The flowing fluid
is assumed to be a perfect gas. In addition, let us
assume that the backpressure is low enough to ensure
choking at the downstream nozzle. Based on mass flow
continuity at steady-state conditions, the mass flux
times the cross-sectional area for both nozzles must be
equal. Because the diameters of both nozzles are equal,
the mass flux through the upstream nozzle must be
equal to the mass flux through the downstream nozzle.
However, the pressure in the plenum between the two
nozzles must also be lower than the stagnation pres-
sure feeding the upstream nozzle. If the upstream noz-
zle is choked, the mass flux through this nozzle must be
greater than the mass flux through the downstream
nozzle. This is a logical inconsistency. Therefore, if the
cross-sectional areas of both nozzles are equal and the
downstream nozzle is choked, the upstream nozzle
must be unchoked.
Obviously, the same conclusion is reached if the
downstream nozzle has a cross-sectional area smaller
than that of the upstream nozzle. Based on this
“thought” experiment, there must be an outlet to nozzle
area ratio ⬎ 1.0 where both the upstream and down-
stream nozzles cannot be choked. The flow and pres-
sure balance equations for Region A or Region B can be
used to determine this minimum area ratio. The result,
208 September 2006 Published on behalf of the AIChE
based on either the Region A equations or Region B
equations, is as follows:
再 冎 再 冎
⫺k/共k⫺1兲
Ae 2
␣m ⫽ ⫽ (27)
An k⫹1
min
Pressure safety valves with outlet to nozzle area
(25) ratios less than those calculated by Eq. 27 cannot choke
at the main nozzle. For heat capacity ratios of 1.001,
1.40, and 1.80, the minimum outlet to nozzle area ratios
are 1.655, 1.892, and 2.132, respectively.
REVISED THRUST FORCE CHARTS
Based on the analysis shown in the previous sec-
tions, a revised thrust force chart is constructed. For
each heat capacity ratio, a different chart can be gen-
erated. The thrust force chart for a gas or vapor with a
heat capacity ratio of 1.4 is shown in Figure 3. The
identical thrust force chart, noting all pertinent equa-
tions, is shown in Figure 4.
original Simpson Chart (Figure 1). Differences include
the following aspects:
1. The extent of Region A is limited by the existence of
a minimum outlet to nozzle area ratio and this min-
imum value is ⬎1.0.
2. Region C has a complete set of thrust force curves
that smoothly converge with the thrust force curves
in Region B.
3. The boundary line between Region B and Region C
is curved rather than a straight vertical line and this
curve depends on the backpressure and the heat
capacity ratio.
Holding the relief valve outlet to nozzle area ratio
constant and using the heat capacity ratio as a param-
eter can generate an alternate form of the thrust force
chart. This type of thrust force chart is shown in Figure
5 for a 4M6 pressure safety valve with an outlet to
nozzle area ratio of 7.12. The heat capacity ratio is
varied from 1.001 to 1.80.
EXAMPLE PROBLEMS
To illustrate the use of the revised thrust force charts
and the associated equations developed herein, the
following examples, extracted from the CCPS Guide-
lines for Pressure Relief and Effluent Handling Systems
[3], are presented.
Example Problem 1
Consider acetone flowing through a typical 2J3 pres-
sure safety valve. That is, the valve has a 2-in. nominal
inlet, a J orifice designation, and a 3-in. nominal outlet.
The ASME actual nozzle area is 1.452 in.2 and the ASME
discharge coefficient is 0.864. The valve outlet has an
inside diameter of 3.068 in. (7.393 in.2 or 0.004770 m2).
The pressure safety valve has a set pressure of 50 psig
and operates with a 5 psi or 10% overpressure. Based
on this, the relieving pressure is 55 psig or 69.7 psia.
For a relieving condition of 69.7 psia, the CCPS exam-
ple indicates a relieving temperature of 109.7° C
(382.85 K) with a corresponding heat capacity ratio of
DOI 10.1002/prs Process Safety Progress (Vol.25, No.3)
Figure 3. Thrust force chart for a compressible gas or vapor (k ⫽ 1.40 and Ae /An ⱖ ␣m).

1.102. Acetone has a molecular weight of 58.08 lb/ P b 19.7

lbmol. The backpressure immediately downstream of ⫽ ⫽ 0.283
P 0 69.7
the pressure safety valve exit plane is 5 psig or 19.7
psia.
Although the recommendation suggested herein is Determine the choking pressure at the relief valve exit
to use the ASME actual nozzle area and a discharge by using Eq. 7.
coefficient of 1.0 for calculating the thrust force, the

再 冎
CCPS example reduces the nozzle area by multiplying
by the ASME discharge coefficient. To allow an equiv- P e 共1.452兲共0.864兲 2 1.102/共1.102⫺1兲
⫽
alent comparison, the same approach is taken here. P0 7.393 1.102 ⫹ 1
The outlet to nozzle area ratio and the backpressure
⫽ 0.0991 f P e ⫽ 共0.0991兲共69.7兲 ⫽ 6.91 psia
ratio are calculated first. The outlet to nozzle area ratio
is above the minimum value for a gas with a heat
capacity ratio 1.102.
Because the choking pressure at the relief valve exit
plane is less than the given backpressure, the flow is
Ae 7.393 unchoked at the relief valve outlet. Therefore, the relief
⫽ ⫽ 5.893
A n 共1.452兲共0.864兲 valve exit pressure is set equal to the backpressure. In

Process Safety Progress (Vol.25, No.3) Published on behalf of the AIChE DOI 10.1002/prs September 2006 209
Figure 4. Thrust force chart for a compressible gas or vapor (k ⫽ 1.40 and Ae /An ⱖ ␣m).

再 冎 册 冎
addition, the operating condition of this relief valve lies 共1.102⫹1兲/共1.102⫺1兲 1/ 2 1.102/共1.102⫺1兲
2
in either Region B or Region C on the thrust force chart. ⫻
1.102 ⫹ 1
Now, determine the choking pressure at the relief
valve nozzle by using Eq. 22: ⫽ 0.3033 f P * ⫽ 共0.3033兲共69.7兲 ⫽ 21.1 psia

再 冎
1.102/共1.102⫺1兲
Pn 2
⫽ ⫽ 0.5843 f P n
P0 1.102 ⫹ 1
Given that the calculated relief valve body pres-
⫽ 共0.5843兲共69.7兲 ⫽ 40.7 psia sure (21.1 psia) is less than the relief valve nozzle
choking pressure (40.7 psia), the flow is choked at
The body pressure is determined by using Eq. 23: the relief valve nozzle. Therefore, the operating
point for this relief valve lies in Region B on the

再 冎再 冋
P* 19.7 1 1 thrust force chart.
⫽ ⫹ 1 ⫹ 2共1.102 ⫺ 1兲 Because the flow is choked at the relief valve nozzle
P0 69.7 2 2 and unchoked at the relief valve exit plane, Eq. 13 is the

再 冎
⫺2 correct expression for evaluating the thrust force pa-
7.393 䡠 19.7
⫻ rameter:
1.452 䡠 0.864 䡠 69.7
210 September 2006 Published on behalf of the AIChE DOI 10.1002/prs Process Safety Progress (Vol.25, No.3)
Figure 5. Thrust force chart: 4M6 PSV with outlet to nozzle area ratio of 7.12.

再 冎
共1.102⫹1兲/共1.102⫺1兲
1 2
2共1.102兲
TR 5.893 1.102 ⫹ 1

再冋 册 冋 册冋 册 冎
⫽ 2 2 共1.102⫹1兲/共1.102⫺1兲 1/ 2 ⫽ 0.2358
P 0 A n 19.7 19.7 1 2
⫹ ⫹ 2共1.102 ⫺ 1兲
69.7 69.7 5.893 1.102 ⫹ 1

Now the thrust force can be calculated using the tional comparison, the alternate COMFLOW value of
definition of the thrust force parameter (Eq. 1): 21.2 lbf is also obtained from the CCPS Book.

T R ⫽ 共0.2358兲共69.7兲共1.452兲共0.864兲 ⫽ 20.62 lb f Example Problem 2

⫽ 91.7 N
This value can be compared with the Simpson Chart
value of 20 lbf given in the CCPS book. For an addi-
The same basic example is used here, except that a
significantly higher stagnation pressure is used. This
higher stagnation pressure causes critical flow at the
pressure safety valve exit plane and thus the operating
point lies in Region A of the thrust force chart.

Process Safety Progress (Vol.25, No.3) Published on behalf of the AIChE DOI 10.1002/prs September 2006 211
 Again acetone is flowing through a typical 2J3 pres- Given that the calculated relief valve body pressure
sure safety valve. The ASME actual nozzle area is 1.452 (52.3 psia) is less than the relief valve nozzle choking
in.2 and the ASME discharge coefficient is 0.864. The pressure (156.4 psia), the flow is choked at the relief
valve outlet has an inside diameter of 3.068 in. (7.393 valve nozzle. Therefore, it is confirmed that the oper-
in.2 or 0.004770 m2). The pressure safety valve has a set ating point for this relief valve lies in Region A on the
pressure of 250 psig and operates with a 25.0 psi or thrust force chart.
10% overpressure. Based on this, the relieving pressure Because the flow is choked at the relief valve nozzle
is 275 psig or 289.7 psia. The saturation temperature of and choked at the relief valve exit plane, Eq. 9 is the
acetone at this pressure is 179.8° C (452.95 K) and the correct expression for evaluating the thrust force pa-
heat capacity ratio is 1.333. The molecular weight is rameter:
again 58.08 lb/lbmol. The backpressure immediately
downstream of the pressure safety valve exit plane is
再 冎
1/共1.333⫺1兲
TR 2
still 5 psig or 19.7 psia. ⫽2 ⫺ 共5.893兲共0.068兲
P 0A n 1.333 ⫹ 1
As in Example 1, the ASME discharge coefficient is
applied. The outlet to nozzle area ratio and the back- ⫽ 0.8587
pressure ratio are calculated first. The outlet to nozzle
area ratio is still above the minimum valve for a gas Now the thrust force can be calculated using the
with a heat capacity ratio 1.333. definition of the thrust force parameter (Eq. 1):

Ae 7.393 T R ⫽ 共0.8587兲共289.7兲共1.452兲共0.864兲 ⫽ 312.1 lb f

⫽ ⫽ 5.893
A n 共1.452兲共0.864兲 ⫽ 1388.3 N

Pb 19.7 ASSUMPTIONS AND LIMITATIONS

⫽ ⫽ 0.068 To derive the equations shown in this article, several
P 0 289.7 assumptions were necessary. These assumptions limit
the applicability of these equations. Therefore, the
Determine the choking pressure at the relief valve exit reader is cautioned to apply these equations with care
by using Eq. 7: when conditions fall outside of the stated limitations.
In developing the flow models, the following pri-

再 冎
P e 共1.452兲共0.864兲 2 1.333/共1.333⫺1兲
⫽
P0 7.393 1.333 ⫹ 1
⫽ 0.0916 f P e ⫽ 共0.0916兲共289.7兲 ⫽ 26.54 psia
Because the choking pressure at the relief valve exit
plane is greater than the given backpressure, the flow is
choked at the relief valve outlet. Therefore, the relief
valve exit pressure is set equal to the exit choking
pressure. In addition, the operating condition of this
relief valve lies in Region A on the thrust force chart.
Check the choking pressure at the relief valve nozzle
by using Eq. 22:
mary assumptions concerning the fluid and its flow
characteristics were made:
1. The fluid obeys the perfect gas law.
2. The flow through the entire relief valve is adiabatic,
that is, heat is neither lost nor gained by the fluid as
it flows from the vessel stagnation condition to the
relief valve exit.
3. The flow through the entire relief valve is friction-
less.
4. The flow from the vessel stagnation condition to the
relief valve nozzle is isentropic.
5. The fluid stagnates in the relief valve body.
6. The flow from the relief valve body to the relief
valve exit plane is isentropic.

再 冎
1.333/共1.333⫺1兲
7. The heat capacity ratio for the gas is held constant
Pn 2 throughout the expansion process, that is, it is inde-
⫽ ⫽ 0.5398 f P n
P0 1.333 ⫹ 1 pendent of decreasing pressure and decreasing tem-
perature.
⫽ 共0.5398兲共289.7兲 ⫽ 156.4 psia
For the most part, these seven assumptions do not
severely limit the applicability of the charts or their
The body pressure is determined by using Eq. 23:
underlying equations. As discussed previously, As-
sumptions 5 and 6 are the most difficult assumptions to

再 冎再 冋
P* 19.7 1 1 accept.
⫽ ⫹ 1 ⫹ 2共1.333 ⫺ 1兲 The thrust force parameters obtained from the equa-
P0 289.7 2 2 tions herein yield ideal theoretical thrust forces. The

再 冎
⫺2 real thrust force will probably be larger. The deriva-
7.393 䡠 19.7
⫻ tions assume steady-state flow through the relief valve,
1.452 䡠 0.864 䡠 289.7
which is almost never true. Flow through a relief valve

再 冎 册 冎
共1.333⫹1兲/共1.333⫺1兲 1/ 2 1.333/共1.333⫺1兲 is almost always dynamic, with the relief valve opening
2
and closing, sometimes over very short periods of time.
1.333 ⫹ 1
This dynamic behavior tends to increase the reaction
⫽ 0.1805 f P * ⫽ 共0.1805兲共289.7兲 ⫽ 52.3 psia forces through harmonic effects. It is common practice

212 September 2006 Published on behalf of the AIChE DOI 10.1002/prs Process Safety Progress (Vol.25, No.3)
Table 1. Summary of other open literature methods for pressure safety valve thrust forces in gas/vapor service.

Literature Method Region A Region B Region C Remarks

DIERS Project Manual [5] Correct equation Graph only Not included
DIERS Project Manual Incorrect equation Incorrect equation Not included Probably a
Errata [6] typographical error
CCPS Guidelines for ERS Graph only Graph only Not included
[3]
HSE Workbook [7] Incorrect equation Not included Not included Probably a
typographical error
API RP 520 [8] Correct equation Not included Not included
Crosby Relief Valve Correct equation Not included Not included Includes a 25% safety
Handbook [9] factor

to multiply the thrust force values obtained from a
theoretical analysis by a dynamic load factor (DLF),
which has a maximum theoretical value of 2.0 and, in
most installations, this maximum value can be applied
without severe cost implication [4].
OTHER OPEN LITERATURE METHODS
Table 1 summarizes the status of the thrust force
methods for gas or vapor pressure safety valves in
several of the major open literature sources. Most of
these do not include a method when the pressure
safety valve exit is unchoked and none includes a
method when both the nozzle and outlet are un-
choked. Some are even in error!
Additional details concerning the relationships be-
tween the methods given in this article and those found
in API RP 520 [8] and the Crosby Pressure Relief Valve
Engineering Handbook [9] can be found in
D’Alessandro [2].
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author gratefully acknowledges the valuable
input obtained from Harold Fisher, Chairman of the
DIERS Users Group. In addition, thanks are extended
to Andrew Jones, Jeff Seay, P.E., and Frank Fearn, P.E.
of Degussa Corporation for reviewing the original arti-
cle [2] before publication.
A very special acknowledgement must also be ex-
tended to Jim Huff, who reviewed the original article
and provided extremely beneficial feedback on some
of the detailed technical aspects of the proposed meth-
ods. Huff maintains that the thrust force at the relief
valve outlet can be determined without specifying the
flow path within the relief valve body. In other words,
the assumption of isentropic flow from the relief valve
body to the relief valve exit is unnecessary. Instead,
simply considering adiabatic flow from the relief valve
nozzle to the relief exit in conjunction with isentropic
nozzle flow from the stagnation condition to the relief
valve nozzle and a continuity equation should be suf-
ficient to calculate the thrust force. The author of this
article has verified this approach and details can be
found in D’Alessandro [2].
LITERATURE CITED
1. L.L. Simpson, Reaction forces from process vent-
ing, unpublished memorandum, Union Carbide
Corporation, Danbury, CT, October 1969.
2. R.N. D’Alessandro, Pressure safety valve thrust
forces for compressible gas or vapor flow, Proc Int
Symp on Runaway Reactions and Pressure Relief
Design, October 31–November 2, 2005, Cincinnati,
OH.
3. Center for Chemical Process Safety, Guidelines for
pressure relief and effluent handling systems,
American Institute of Chemical Engineers, New
York, 1998.
4. J.E. Huff, Flow through emergency relief devices
and reaction forces, J Loss Prev Process Ind 3
(1990), 43– 49.
5. H.G.Fisher, H.S. Forrest, S.S. Grossel, J.E. Huff, A.R.
Muller, J.A. Noronha, D.A. Shaw, B.J. Tilley, Emer-
gency relief system design using DIERS technol-
ogy—The Design Institute for Emergency Relief
System (DIERS) project manual, American Institute
of Chemical Engineers/Design Institute for Emer-
gency Relief Systems, New York, 1992.
6. Errata to the DIERS project manual, published Jan-
uary 5, 2005.
7. J. Etchells and J. Wilday, Workbook for chemical
reactor relief system sizing, health and safety exec-
utive, Contract Research Report 136/1998, ISBN 0
7176 1389 5, first published in 1998.
8. American Petroleum Institute (API), Sizing, selec-
tion, and installation of pressure-relieving devices
in refineries, Part II—Installation, API recom-
mended practice 520 (4th edition), API, Washing-
ton, DC, December 1994.
9. Crosby Valve & Gage Company, Crosby pressure
relief valve engineering handbook, Technical Doc-
ument No. TP-V300, Crosby Valve & Gage Com-
pany, Wrentham, MA, May 1997.

Process Safety Progress (Vol.25, No.3) Published on behalf of the AIChE DOI 10.1002/prs September 2006 213